Enhancing Safety through Optimal Placement of Components in Hydrogen Tractor: Rollover Angle Analysis

Hydrogen tractors are being developed, necessitating consideration of the variation in the center of gravity depending on the arrangement of components such as power packs and cooling modules that replace traditional engines. This study analyzes the effects of component arrangement on stability and rollover angle in hydrogen tractors through simulations and proposes an optimal configuration. Stability is evaluated by analyzing rollover angles in various directions with rotations around the tractor’s midpoint. Based on the analysis of rollover angles for Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3 hydrogen tractors, Type 2 demonstrates superior stability compared to the other types. Specifically, when comparing lateral rollover angles at 0◦ rotation, Type 2 exhibits a 2% increase over Type 3. Upon rotations at 90◦ and 180◦ , Type 2 consistently displays the highest rollover angles, with differences ranging from approximately 6% to 12% compared to the other types. These results indicate that Type 2, with its specific component arrangement, offers the most stable configuration among the three types of tractors. It is confirmed that the rollover angle changes based on component arrangement, with a lower center of gravity resulting in greater stability. These findings serve as a crucial foundation for enhancing stability in the future design and manufacturing phases of hydrogen tractors.